The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-09-28
COAL MINERS STRIKE.
Twenty Thousand Men Idle In
the Lehigh Region.
An Increase Of Fifteen Per Cent.
in Wages Demanded.

twenty thousand miners and laborers in
the Lehigh Districts of the anthracite coal
region on Monday morning responded
to the order to quit work, which
was issued by the Joint Committee
of the knights Of Labor and the Miners
and Laborers' Amalgamated Association;
and what promised to he one of the longest
and most bitter strikes in that region since
1873 was hogun. The men demanded an IN
crease of lj per cent in their wages. The op-
orators refused this and refused to arbitrate,
as they have agreements with their own men
to work out the year on schedule adopted last
January. Committees of the several local
organizations waited upon A. Pardrc q Co.,
Cove Bros. & Co. ut Dritton, and other
operators, but the operators refused 10
recognize the committees.
Thirty cnllierics in the Lchigh region were
affected by the strike, and all of them were
idle At several Of them it was attempted
to run the breakers with the all OF lew
Hungarians and Italiaus but after running
for several hours they were obliged to shut
down. In accordance with the or,lerof thei Joint
committee all the engineers and pump men
J remained at work, but only TO do what dead
work was necessary in order to keep The
water ont OF the mines, and they were under
strict orders not to hoist a single carload OF
coal
At Dritton all the men, numbering over
1000 were ordered to 60 10 work at once or
else take their tools from the mines and 60 to
the Office and get their pay. They refused to
go to work and all were immediately dis
Monday, the men are all quiet,
but should the operators carry out
their expressed purposc to oInrate the mines
with Hungarian AMI other imported labor,
serious trouble and possibly boo'lS lShrd is
Anticipated. 1t is believed that the strike will
not be adi i,iStcd for many months, unless mu-
tually satisfactory agreement is arrived at THIS
week Work will he continued in the Scliuyl-
kill and other regions, and the Lehigh
operators will have all their orders filled
there. There is no fear that the price of coal
will he materially affected, us the orders can
be easily filed in the other regions.
The men who have gone out are employed
by the I.chgh Valley Railroad Company. the
Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company and
number of other companies and Individual
operators.
The strike affects nearly ulI the mincs in
the upper and lower Lehgh regions, but not
including the Wyoming district or the
Schuylkil! and Lehigh Valley mines in the
Schuylkill region.
In reference to the great strike of the coal
miners in the upper and lower l-ehigh regions,
a Philadelphia dispatch says General Mcleod,
of the Reading Railroad, said:
"There has been no strike of the employees
of the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and
Iron Company, and we do not expect any. In
fact, am confident that we shall have no
trouble. We know what the demands Of the
men are, and they understand their
position thoroughly, and we can adjust the
difference without trouble. No reports OF
strikes have been received and we lelicve
that all of our men arc at work and will not
20 out The strike may have some effect upon
the coal trade, but we shall not feel it."